I've lived in the DC area my entire life and the metro rail here is honestly one of my preferred rail lines. It goes pretty far into Maryland and VA - though it won't get you to say, Virginia Beach or Baltimore.

Honestly if my partner didn't live all the way across the country I'd probably never leave here - it's just so much nicer than any of the other areas I've visited bar like, San Diego.

If you can get a job that requires security clearance, you'll be pretty much set - not sure about how it works now but back when I was graduating, places were really hurting for people who could pass the clearance (granted this was back in like 2016). I have family who've worked in the government and while it's not the most glamorous of jobs, the security cannot be beat, so it's a tradeoff on that front.